A POPULAR sci-fi horror game has been banned in Australia - and the developer refuses to "sanitise" it for a local release.

Aliens vs Predator, a video game based on the popular movie series, has been refused classification for containing high-impact violence, according to the Classifications Board.

"We will not be releasing a sanitised or cut down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices," the game's maker, Rebellion Developments, told gaming blog CVG.

Unlike other developed nations, Australia does not have an adult rating for games, which means that anything stronger than an MA15+ rating has to be refused classification.

Aliens vs Predator was banned for showing close-ups of human characters experiencing "explicit decapitation and dismemberment" as well as "stabbing through the chest, throat, mouth or eyes," according to a copy of the Board's report published on GameArena.com.au.

"Characters can be stabbed with a Predator's wrist blade or an Alien's tail in depictions reminiscent of impalement," the report says, adding that players can combine explicit violent moves, such as decapitation or eye-gouging.

Similar actions are depicted in the movie series that inspired the game, with none of the films rated above MA15+.

Previous Alien vs Predator games – released by other developers and publishers – have been rated M and MA15+.

Rebellion Developments said it was "disappointed" by the ban, but remained defiant."The authorities had no choice (...) we agree strongly that our game is not suitable for game players who are not adults," the company said.

"The content of AvP is based on some of the most innovative and iconic horror movies, and as such we wanted to create a title that was true to the source."

"It is for adults, and it is bloody and frightening, that was our intent."

Previously banned games, such as Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead 2, have been edited for local release.

Last month's release of zombie game Left 4 Dead 2 was so hastily edited that IGN game reviewers described it as "the worst censorship result in Australia's history" that was "not worth the plastic the disc is printed on."

Australia's classification laws cannot be changed without the support of every state and territory attorney-general.

South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson remains outspoken about his opposition to R-rated games.

He recently acknowledged the lack of an R18+ rating "restricts adult liberty to a small degree", but said it was worth it to protect children from violent games.

Sega, the publisher of Aliens vs Predator, said it "will continue to investigate all options available to us, including the possibility of appeal".

This kind of stuff pisses me off to no end, this country can be so backwards! The rating system is a joke, why is there not an R rating for games I will never know. Censorship in this country continues to piss me off, and pissed me off badly! I honestly got so angry many years ago I wrote and spoke to people who were very vocal in wanting to get certain films banned, and they had a hard time actually being able to justify as to why. I wish I still had their responses because I laughed so hard with what they had to say (Yes some were politicians).

Unbelievable that that Classification Board has already banned six games this year! For more details on how utterly ridiculous this country is with censor ship, check out this website. You should see which films have been banned, were banned, what is edited (same with games). It really is such a joke...http://www.refused-classification.com